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By Mary Ann Eason
“Are you standing at a crossroad, wond’ring which road you should take? And you’re dreading the decision and a possible mistake.” These are the opening words to a favorite song. Does it describe the struggle you are going through in attempting to come to a conclusion on a controversial subject? You are not alone in your struggle; there are many other “true believers” struggling with the same issues and know exactly what you’re going through. The members of the Sabbath-keeping Churches of God are known for their knowledge of the Bible. We take it to heart when the Bible says “study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (II Tim. 2:15). God wants us to understand and know him: “Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth know this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord” (Jer. 9:23-24). But, there are so many ideas and opinions from articles written on every subject. Is there a group of believers anywhere who totally agree on every subject? How do we handle a controversial subject for which there are no easy answers; no specific guidance from scripture? Is there a level of compromise that can be reached? You want to be right, but you’re just not sure how to make sense of all the information. Having recently gone through such a struggle ourselves, we would like to offer some guidance that may help you and/or your congregation in coming to a decision so that you can go forward. Yes, we said “go forward,” because as long as our minds are preoccupied with disputations in the Body of Christ, we are at a standstill. The important issues that divide will have to be resolved so that God’s Church can do the Work it was called to do. But how do we go about finding the answers? It is with humbleness of heart that we offer these guidelines.
Purpose of this Guide
These guidelines are meant to assist the true believer (those who know the truth of God’s Word, have repented, been baptized, and are living “the way”) in making the best decision possible using the spiritual “tools” that God gave us. The Churches of God have many common threads of beliefs that bind us together: the 10 Commandments, the Sabbath Day, Holy Days, dietary laws, etc. These are readily explained and proved by God’s Holy Word. However, there are some areas of belief that have little to no references in the Bible and have been controversial for many years, and not just in the Churches of God. For example, we’ve read letters on the internet written by Protestant pastors dating to the 1800’s disputing the subject of whether or not alcoholic wine should be used in the communion service. And, there is a much earlier example of controversy found in the Bible in II Tim 2:16-19. Here is noted a controversy during the time of the early Church regarding the resurrection. So, why are we surprised that confusion reigns in these modern times? The Bible teaches us, however, that “God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints” (I Cor. 14:33). The adversary seeks to divide us and is using every tool that he has in this endeavor. We have witnessed people who, while sincere in their efforts, have separated themselves from the Body unnecessarily because they couldn’t agree on some few matters. What kind of example does this show to the world? God makes it clear in His Word that He wants no division among us (I Cor. 1:10). It is clear that God is not pleased with all this confusion. So, our hope is that this guide will assist in uniting, not tearing down: “Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Eph. 4:3, emphasis added).
It should not be surprising in our modern age that there is so much confusion. Those of us in the more advanced countries of the world have so many sources of knowledge available to us: books, radio, television, and the increasingly popular internet. How does one make sense of it all? The Bible clearly tells us that knowledge will increase in the last days (Dan. 12:4). But how do we tell the difference between true knowledge and just plain old opinions of men? And, how do we make sense of all the information that is available. This is a dilemma that we hope to help you resolve.
We also want to assist true believers in making the right decision. Having been through these struggles ourselves, we are profoundly aware of your desire to be right and to do what is right. Obviously, you would never have seen the truth of God’s Word if you had not questioned the beliefs of mainstream religion. The Bible encourages us to “grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ” (II Peter 3:18), so don’t beat yourself up for questioning certain subjects. However, there is a right way to go about searching for answers, and we will address this in detail later.
While it is important to do what is right (James 4:17), it is also important that we do not disrupt the unity of the Church. Read Prov. 6:19. “Sowing discord among the brethren” is an act that God absolutely hates (vs. 16). You must take special care not to be found guilty of this sin. Unity is essential (I Cor. 1:10), and we wish to promote it among the Churches of God. In writing this guide, we do not seek to divide, but to promote unity. Additionally, we do not wish to prove or disprove any particular viewpoint. The controversial subjects that are mentioned in this writing are only meant as examples for our learning.
Learning the Subject
In preparing to study a subject, there are certain actions and questions that bear consideration. The following outline is a tool to help you think through the process and cover all the bases.
Ask yourself some pointed questions:
Why am I studying this subject? If you are studying the subject in order to edify (build up) the Body of Christ, then you are studying for the right reasons. However, if you are studying in order to prove someone else wrong, as though you are in a contest with your Christian brother or sister, you will not succeed. Remember, you cannot hide the intentions of your heart from God Almighty (Heb. 4:12-13). Make sure that your intentions are good and that you are seeking answers with a humble heart (Is. 66:1-2).
Does knowing the answer really matter to my salvation? The true believer understands immediately the importance of living by the Word of God and obeying the doctrines set forth by the early church. These are the principles that have impact on our salvation. However, some subjects have no impact on our salvation; and let’s face it, some are just downright silly. For example, some choose to dispute whether or not Judas got his feet washed during the communion evening prior to Christ’s crucifixion. Will knowing the answer get us any closer to God? Will it serve to edify the Body? Read I Cor. 8:1.
Another example is the question of the use of the words “Holy Ghost” and “Holy Spirit” in the King James translation. A quick look at a good concordance shows that the words came from the same Greek word, so why the translators chose to use both terms interchangeably is a mystery. While this is an interesting subject to study and we are not discouraging anyone from doing so, ask yourself if it really matters to your salvation. The point is, we shouldn’t allow such matters to get in the way of what is truly important to our walk with God, which is clearly outlined in James 1:27.
Am I ready to face the answer? There should be no doubt in your mind that you are responsible for what you know. (James 1:22) Are you ready to take action, to make the tough decision that you may need to make? You may find yourself in a situation where the question in dispute may affect your ability to fellowship with certain groups. For example, there are many theories on how to calculate the calendar and thereby set the dates of the Holy Days. What if the group you’re fellowshipping with wants to follow one way and you want to follow another? This will certainly interfere with your ability to fellowship on the Holy Days. But does it mean that you have to disfellowship them completely? Certainly not! Not if you have the fruit of the Spirit working in your life. You’ll have to exercise patience and tolerance, but this only helps us to grow spiritually. You can still fellowship with others without compromising your own convictions. But, how will you handle a situation like this? That is why it is so important to consider these questions when deciding how to study a subject, especially a controversial one.
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